How long did it take Noah to build the ark?

Answer

The Bible does not explicitly state how long it took Noah to build the ark. However, there are several key points in Noah’s construction of the ark that allow us to make some reasonable estimates regarding the duration of the process.

All we have to rely on is the biblical information. When Noah is first introduced in Genesis 5:32, he is 500 years old. By the time Noah entered the ark and the flood began, he was 600 years old «And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.», (Genesis 7:6). Noah was given the command to build the ark in Genesis 6:14.

The duration of building the ark would therefore be determined by the time that elapsed between God’s instruction in Genesis 6 and the onset of the rainfall in Genesis 7. This period could not have exceeded 100 years when we compare these two verses:

“After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth” «And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.», (Genesis 5:32).

“Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth” «And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.», (Genesis 7:6).